Engine automatic stop restart control apparatus, vehicle equipped with engine automatic stop restart control apparatus, and engine automatic stop restart method

Abstract

In a vehicle having idle stop functions and low vehicle speed-following drive functions, when a vehicle automatic stop flag F2 is identified as 1 at step S220, determines whether all engine stop conditions except depression of brake pedal are satisfied in step S240. When it is determined all the engine stop conditions except depression of the brake pedal are satisfied, ignition and fuel injection in each cylinder of engine are stopped to automatically stop the engine in step S260. In this arrangement, the driver's depression of brake is excluded from the engine stop conditions. Therefore, even when the motor vehicle automatically stops without the driver's depression of brake, the engine is automatically stopped.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an engine automatic stop restart control apparatus, a vehicle equipped with the engine automatic stop restart control apparatus, and a corresponding engine automatic stop restart method. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] One proposed engine automatic stop restart control apparatus enables the driver to selectively set threshold values of predetermine engine stop conditions according to the running status and the driving conditions of a motor vehicle (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2004-270532). The threshold value of each engine stop condition is set by the driver's operation. For example, in an engine automatic stop control with the driver's depression of a brake pedal specified as one of the engine stop conditions, the driver may set the threshold value of the driver's depression power of a brake pedal. Such setting enables an automatic stop of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art apparatus and to automatically stop an engine in response to an automatic stop of a motor vehicle. The object of the invention is also to provide a vehicle equipped with an engine automatic stop restart control apparatus.

[0009] The engine automatic stop restart control apparatus of the invention excludes the driver's depression of brake from the engine stop conditions, when the motor vehicle automatically stops by the vehicle automatic stop control. Even when the motor vehicle automatically stops without the driver's depression of brake, the engine automatic stop restart control apparatus of the invention ensures an automatic stop of the engine and effectively improves the fuel consumption. This arrangement can automatically stop the engine in response to an automatic stop of the motor vehicle without requiring the driver's useless additional operation, for example, the driver's depression of brake.

[0011] In another preferable application of the engine automatic stop restart control apparatus of the invention, the predetermined vehicle stop conditions include at least a condition that a vehicle speed of the motor vehicle is not higher than a preset reference vehicle speed and that a distance between the motor vehicle and a preceding vehicle is not longer than apreset reference distance. The automatic drive control module controls the motor vehicle to be driven at a constant speed or to follow the preceding vehicle and, in response to a stop of the preceding vehicle, controls the motor vehicle to automatically stop with maintaining the preset reference distance from the preceding vehicle. When the motor vehicle automatically stops with maintaining the preset reference distance from the preceding vehicle in the event of a stop of the preceding vehicle, the engine automatic stop restart control apparatus of this application ensures an automatic stop of the engine and effectively improves the fuel consumption. This arrangement can automatically stop the engine in response to an automatic stop of the motor vehicle without requiring the driver's useless additional operation, for example, the driver's depression of brake. The ‘reference vehicle speed’ may be determined experimentally as a vehicle speed that ensures a safe automatic stop of the motor vehicle with avoiding a collision against the preceding vehicle even in the event of a sudden stop of the preceding vehicle. The ‘reference distance’ may be determined empirically to avoid a collision against the preceding vehicle. These definitions are adoptable to all the similar terminologies.

[0018] The engine automatic stop restart method of the invention excludes the driver's depression of brake from the engine stop conditions, when the motor vehicle automatically stops by the vehicle automatic stop control. Even when the motor vehicle automatically stops without the driver's depression of brake, the engine automatic stop restart method of the invention ensures an automatic stop of the engine and effectively improves the fuel consumption. This arrangement can automatically stop the engine in response to an automatic stop of the motor vehicle without requiring the driver's useless additional operation, for example, the driver's depression of brake.

[0019] The present invention is further directed to a vehicle with the engine stop restart control apparatus of the invention described above. Even when the motor vehicle automatically stops without the driver's depression of brake, the vehicle of the invention ensures an automatic stop of the engine. This arrangement can automatically stop the engine in response to an automatic stop of the motor vehicle without requiring the driver's useless additional operation, for example, the driver's depression of brake.

Problems solved by technology

When the motor vehicle automatically stops without the driver's depression of the brake pedal, this prior art engine automatic stop restart control apparatus does not automatically stop the engine and causes wasteful consumption of the fuel.

This prior art engine automatic stop restart control apparatus requires the driver's useless additional operation to automatically stop the engine.

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